The International System Safety Society and the International System Safety Conference — Its Future

Malcolm Jones

doi:10.56094/jss.v51i1.169

Authors

Malcolm Jones Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56094/jss.v51i1.169

Keywords:

ISSC, conference, young professionals, safety case, safety methodology

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a falling off of membership in the International System Safety Society and attendance at its annual International System Safety Conference (ISSC). There are a number of reasons for this, including:

The recent tight budget constraints on government and independent organizations
A growing loss of younger Society membership
The impression that the Society no longer serves a unique niche in the world of system safety

The first aspect needs no further consideration, apart from how one continues to make the case to organizations about the benefits of active membership in the Society and attendance at its meetings. Typically, one might note the value of networking with peers, learning what’s new and topical in system safety. I suppose one must also ask how organizations typically view graded membership in the Society as compared to equivalent membership in more formal institutions. More specifically, what does the Society’s membership and level mean to the individual and the organization in terms of achieving improved performance? What benefits do organizations gain from Society membership of advertising the pedigree of its workforce? Has there been an organizational review of this nature?

Author Biography

Malcolm Jones, Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE)

Malcolm Jones has previously led the Distinguished Scientists group at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE). He currently holds the position of Scientific Adviser to AWE’s Chief Scientist and directly supports AWE’s Chief of Product Assurance. His career at AWE has taken him through a wide range of scientific and engineering topics, but he has maintained a continuous association with nuclear weapon design and process safety and top-level nuclear safety standards. His interests extend to corporate safety cultures and the root-cause reasons for failures. He is a Fellow of the International System Safety Society and is an adviser to a number of senior U.K. Ministry of Defence and AWE safety bodies. He has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for contributions to the U.K. defense industry and is a recipient of the John Challens’ Medal, which is AWE’s highest award for lifetime contributions to science, engineering and technology. He has also been honored by VNIIA in the Russian Federation for his work in fostering nuclear weapon safety collaboration between the U.K. and the R.F.